None of the above cost less than $2,700, and the Maingear Rush drains the pocketbook at a whopping $8,393 as configured.

Digital Storm’s latest offering, the Vanquish II, take a completely different approach. It still has excellent components inside, but none is quite the top end. Performance will take a hit to be sure, but so will the cost.

As Digital Storm is wont to do, there are four base configurations of the Vanquish II. Level 1 costs a mere pittance (relatively speaking) at $699, while the Level 2 ($779) and Level 3 ($979) give users three Vanquish II systems to choose from under $1,000. It’s the Level 4 that we’re evaluating today, and at $1,259 the question is, did Digital Storm find the right balance of performance and price, or will the Vanquish II be a letdown?

There’s a DVD-R/RW optical drive along with a 600W Corsair CX PSU. For cooling, DS went with an aftermarket air cooler and a handful of case fans. The system runs Windows 8.1 (64-bit).

As is its custom, Digital Storm included a handy binder full of all the pertinent driver and installation discs (including Windows) and documentation, along with a certificate of ownership. The company also offers quick shipping--72 hours from when you order your rig--and a solid 3-year limited warranty with Lifetime Expert Care.

Note that all of the components are off-the-shelf parts; Digital Storm is pushing the Vanquish II’s easy upgradability as a selling point. That is to say, there are no proprietary configurations or parts that would inhibit you from upgrading any given component.